Engine



Patented July 16, 1935 UNITED i STATES ENGINE Harold H. Timian,

Detroit, Mich., assignor to Continental Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Virginia Application June 27, 1931, Serial No. 547,264 4 Claims. (01.-123-754) 'Ihis invention relates to internal combustion engines and has among its objects the provision of means for improving the general performance of the engine.

In engines of the hydrocarbon type it is com mon practice to employ a carburetor or other mixing device for vaporizing the .hydrocarbon with air, the fuel mixturey being then conducted to the engine cylinders for combustion. It has been determined that a certain portion of the hydrocarbon is carried along with the fuel mixture in liquid form, not being vaporized by the carburetor. Such a condition is generally prevalent with the present day fuels commonly used for internal combustion engines, and is particularly pronounced in startingA an engine as in cold weather or after the engine has been idleA for a suiicient length of time to have cooled relative to its normal operating temperature. vAt such times, and also to a lesser extent during the normal operation of the engine, the wet fuel particles including condensed portions of the fuel mixture tend to collect in the conduit intermediate the carburetor and cylinders, resulting inV a sluggish action of the engine, difculty in` starting and generally undesirable engine performance. i

My invention inits broad `aspect is applicable to any type of hydrocarbon engine oi the carbureted fuel mixture type. My present application is directed particularly to means for removing the wet fuel particles especially adapted for poppet valve or like types of engines. This may be done in several ways although I prefer for simplicity and convenience to collect the wet fuel particles by suction. Thus I may remove the Wet fuel particles by suction derived bythe engine piston, the wet particles being conducted from the fuel mixture supply conduit to a suitable point of disposalgpreferably into the cylinder separately from the supply conduit. By such a general engine construction I have greatly improved'the starting ability of the engine as well as overcoming the sluggishaction of the engine.

More particularly my adapted for use with an downdraft carburetor and associated manifold structure and more particularly `constructed to drain the wet fuel from the lowest point in the fuel mixture conducting system.

One important application of my present invention relates to poppet valve or like types of engines as distinguished from sleeve valve engines. I have'illustrated my invention in connection with a typical wellV known type of engine present invention is engine employing a known as the L-head type,although as aforesaid my invention is also applicable to other general types of engines and valve arrangements. It is not my purpose therefore to limit my invention except as specifically recited in the appended 5V claims.

In the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts:

Fig. 1 is a sectional View through one of the 10 cylinders and intake manifold of a typicalrpoppet valveengine, illustrating my invention, and

Fig. 2 is a similar'Y sectional View of the engine with the piston completing the intake stroke.

Referring to the drawing reference character 15 I 0 illustrates the engine cylinder block having cylinders I I Jacketed at I2 for circulation of a cooling uid. The cylinder ends are closed by the usual cylinder head I3 to pro-vide a valved combustion chamber I4. The usual intake and ex- 20 haust valves mayA be provided forl each chamber I 4, the intake valve being illustrated at I5 controlling intake port I 6. The intake port I6 communicates with the fuel mixture supply manifold intake passage I8 it being 25 understood that branch passages I8 are provided singlyor in groups for the various intake ports of the various cylinders of the engine. I9 represents a conventional carburetor for supplying carbureted commercial gasoline or other hydro- 30 carbon to the intake manifold.` The engine thus farl described is in the main conventional and well known, further description of the details being unnecessary for the purpose of a full and comprehensive disclosure of my invention. Pref- 35 erably I find that'it is preferable in many instances to employ a downdraft carburetor, in which case the manifold structure I1 is provided with a fuel mixture conducting portion I'Ia extending downwardly from the carburetor I9 to 40 the fuel mixture distributing chamber I'Ib a plurality of manifold branches including port runner portions I"Ic communicating with the said fuel mixture distributing chamber I'Ib.

Each cylinder intake passage I8 slopes down 45 wardly and inwardly of the engine cylinder block I 0 and thence upwardly to the intake port I6.

In an engine employing an updraft carburetor excessive accumulations of wet fuel may be readily drained into the carburetor for subse- 50 quent use, but in an engine employing a downdraft carburetor, it is not possible to drain off excessive accumulations in this way. The removal of wet fuel accumulations in an engine employing a cowndraft carburetor is more van than in j urged to its seat by a spring 24.

vdownward travel of the Y the end of the downward stroke of the piston.

. into vthe engine cylinder. pression strokeand upward exhaust stroke or the -keep the valve 23 seated.

engines employing an updraft carburetor in order to provide efficient engine operation with a minimum of fuel consumption. A practical engine employing a downdraft carburetor is more or less dependent on the elimination of excessive wet fuel accumulations in the fuel mixture conducting means. Y

In order to collect or concentrate the unvaporized and condensed particles of hydrocarbon and fuel mixture passing from the carburetor I9 to the intake ports lu I provide one or more traps 2i) for each cylinder conduit I8. The floor of the wet particles tending to form or collect in this portion of the fuel mixtureVV supply system will drain by gravity toward The wet particles collected in the trap 2t may be disposed of as desired, it being one feature of my invention to provide means for conducting the wet particles by suction into one or more cylinders of the engine. cates with a port 21V-inV able conduit 22 conducting the trap to the port 2l. Interposed at a convenient point in the drain system is aV valve assembly consisting of a check valve 23 yieldingly the Vcylinder wall, a suitthe wet particles from The port 2| is suitably timed with respect to the engine piston 25 so as to be uncovered by the piston, preferably toward In operation, assuming the piston 25 as in Fig. l on its downward intake stroke, the port 2| is preferably covered by the piston during its initial downwardtravel and the valve 23 is seated by reason of spring 24. As the intake stroke con.- tinues the piston uncovers port 2l as in Fig. 2 and the suction within the engine cylinder created by the piston will act in conduit 22 to unseat the valve 23. Thus, the wet fuel mixture particles, drained by 'the intake system proper and collected in trap 2i) will be removed from the intake system and passed through the conduit 22 On the upward compiston, Vthe pressure in the cylinder and inconduit 22,jduring that portion of the strokewhen port 2l is open to the cylinder, will act with spring 24 to Similarly when the explosion or working downward stroke of the piston valve 23 seated. By varying the position of port 2l with respect to the piston stroke the degree and duration of suction exerted in conduit 22 j may be varied asV desired under the circumstances.

By reason of my invention the wet fuelV particles are removed from the fuel intake system between the 'carburetor and cylinder intake ports as .fast as they accumulate. Any wet particles collecting between successive intake strokes for any cylinder will buildup in the trap 2i) at the rear of valve 2li and will be removed at the next suction' stroke. The relatively small capacity of the conduit 22 with respect to the intake manifold l'i is not sufficient to interfere with the normal functioning of the'engine intake.

-I prefer to provide a conduit 22 for each engine cylinder in order toobtain the same conditions of operationfor each engine cylinder although if desired` for simplicity the wet fuel particles may be conducted from the intake system to any one or more cylinders. Y,

Preferably the conduit or passage 22 liesin a vertical transverse. plane through the engine containing the intake valve axis,said engine Vcylconduit i8 is sloped as specified above so that anyA and into the trap 2li.V

Thus the trap 20 communi- Y takes-place the cylinder pressure will keep theV inder block being constructed'to provide an annular recess or pocket 26 surrounding the valve guide 2l, thereby facilitating the positioning of said sump or settling basin 2t at the lowest point in the fuel mixture conducting system. The wet fuel particles are thus drained from the Vintake passage I8 as well as from the manifold structure l] and due tion of the check-.valve 23 very little wet fuel is allowed to accumulate in the sump 20. The check valve assembly is preferably located inconduit or passage 22 intermediate the cylinder and pocket 2t. Preferably this valve assembly consists of a sleever23 in which the ball valve 23 and spring 24 are supported, said sleeve being scope of the appended claims. e

What I claim as my invention Y `i.'In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a conduit for supplying a vaporizecl hydrocarbon to the cylinder and includinga cylinder intake passage, a second conduit Vcommunicating with the cylinder independentlyl of the first said conduit for removing therefrom unvaporized portions of the hydrocarbons, valve Vmeans! associated with said cylinder intake passage for controlling admission of thehydrocarbon to the cylinder, a valve guide supporting'said Valve means, said engine having an annular pocket surrounding said valve guide and communicating with said passage, said second conduit communicating with said pocket.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a conduit forY supplying a vaporized hydrocarbon to the cylinder and including a cylinder intake passage, a second conduit communicating with the cylinder independently of the iirstsaid conduit for removing therefrom unvaporized portions of the hydrocarbons, valve means associated with said cylinder intake passage for controlling admission of the hydrocarbon to the cylinder, a valve guide supporting said valve means, said engine having an Vannular pocket surrounding said valve guide and' communicating With said passage, said second conduit communicating withV located in a transverse planeV to the vfrequent actuaof my invention orv fromtheV sok 3. In an internal combustion engine, a cyl- Y inder, a conduit forsupplying a vaporized hydrocarbon to the cylinder and including a cylinder intake passage, a second conduit com- `municating with they cylinder independently of the iirst said conduit for removing therefrom unvaporized portions of the hydrocarbons, Valve means associated with said` cylinder intake pas,- sage for controlling admission of the 'hydrocarbon to the cylinder, a valve Vguide supporting said valve means, said engine having an annular pocket surrounding said valve guide and communicating withy said passage, said second. conduit communicating with said pocket, and a Y check valve associated with said second conduit.

4. In an internal combustion engine, acylinder, a conduit for supplying avaporized hydrocarbon to the cylinder and including a cylinder intake passages. second conduit communicating with the cylinder independently of the first said conduit for removing therefrom unvaporized portions of the hydrocarbons, valve means associated with said cylinder intake passage for controlling admission of the hydrocarbon to the cylv5 inder, a valve guide su said engine havingl an pporting said Valve means, annular pocket surrounding said valve guide and communicating with said passage, said second conduit communicating with said pocket, and a check valve assembly located in said second conduit intermediate the cylinder and said pocket.

HAROLD H. TIMIAN. 

